Chievo Vs. Fiorentina: Final score 1-1 as Donkeys dull once again

The game in Verona may have started out brightly, but then the match got all Chievo'd. By the second half, there was really no point in watching, unless you enjoy being lulled to sleep by Italian. In the end, Chievo Verona and Fiorentina split the points, 1-1, with both goals scored within two minutes.

Surprisingly enough, the first half of the match was fairly captivating, played at a fast pace and with plenty of action at either end. The Viola habit of waiting until the last possible second to clear their lines put an element of surprise into every Chievo chance.

Cyril Thereau gave the home side the lead in the 18th minute. The forward did well to control the through ball from Luciano, then took the ball around the Fiorentina defense. His shot from the left gave Emiliano Viviano no chance as it settled into the far corner.

But the Viola quickly cancelled out Chievo's opener. The Flying Donkeys conceded a corner, taken by Manuel Pasquale, whose kick met the head of Luca Toni. Gonzalo Rodríguez had the ball in the back of the net before Chievo could react.

Toni himself very nearly put Fiorentina ahead in the 44th minute. The forward dove to meet a ball from Juan Cuadrado, but his header went off the post.

Alas, if only the ball had gone in, how much more interesting would the second half had been. Instead Chievo were content to play for the point -- as always -- shutting down the Viola and taking very few opportunities to create anything themselves. Considering that a point still keeps them just two points above the drop, perhaps the Flying Donkeys need to reconsider their strategy.